Chapter 96 of 100

Chapter 96: Convalescence

16 min read3,877 words

Zhang Xiaohu could only smile bitterly. A life of no worries about food and clothing? It sounds easy, but it's just a matter of giving a sum of silver. Even if he were given enough silver to last Zhang Xiaohua a lifetime, who could guarantee that Zhang Xiaohua could live on this silver for the rest of his life? If something happened to the silver, could the disabled Zhang Xiaohua still live without worries about food and clothing?

Let's not even talk about the amount of silver. A young man's beautiful life was destroyed by one palm, and he could only rely on silver to get by. A life without aspirations—was this what Zhang Xiaohua wanted?

All of this, all the possibilities, all the dreams—could they be replaced by a life of no worries about food and clothing?

Others might not know Zhang Xiaohua's aspirations, but Zhang Xiaohu did. Ignoring Zhang Xiaohua's talent for the moment, his desire to learn martial arts was something even Zhang Xiaohu couldn't match. If he knew he couldn't continue practicing martial arts, would he still have the will to live?

Zhang Xiaohua is still just a child!

Could he bear such a blow?

Zhang Xiaohu was now filled with self-reproach and regret. If he hadn't agreed to the match, if he hadn't come to the security agency, if he hadn't suggested going to Pingyang City... Could everything have been different?

Seeing Zhang Xiaohu's face change, Old Master Qu quickly said, "Zhang Xiaohu, you have good potential. We were already considering sending you to the martial arts school for training. This time, you defeated Yu Deyi, and the people at the martial arts school must know you have the potential to match them. In a few days, we'll send you there to study. Your treatment as a guard will remain the same, and you'll still have to go on missions. The martial arts school won't charge you any fees."

Zhang Xiaohu smiled bitterly and said, "Old Master Qu, thank you for your kindness, but my brother..."

Old Master Qu glanced at Yu Deyi and said, "Zhang Xiaohu, don't worry about your brother's life. After Yu Deyi arranges for your brother, I'll go to the owner of Huaxi Manor and plead for him. As long as Huaxi Manor stands, Zhang Xiaohua will have a job there. I still have some influence, and I believe I can secure this for Zhang Xiaohua."

With these words, Zhang Xiaohu could only nod in gratitude, and Old Master Qu and Yu Deyi both breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, the doctor from the martial arts school arrived, just like the officials from the government office, always showing up after everything was settled. Although the doctor was reeking of alcohol, he was still stunned by Zhang Xiaohua's injuries. His first words were, "This hand is ruined."

His second sentence was, "I'm dizzy now and can't treat him carefully. Please find a better doctor."

Old Master Qu grabbed the doctor's neck and asked, "Doctors at the martial arts school are not allowed to drink during their shifts. Why didn't you follow the rules?"

The doctor said confidently, "I was testing the efficacy of the medicinal wine. In ancient times, Hua Tuo tasted hundreds of herbs, and we should follow his example. If I don't taste it myself, how can I ensure its effectiveness when treating others?"

Old Master Qu threw him to the ground and said to Zhang Xiaohu, "Come, take Zhang Xiaohua to the doctor."

Fortunately, the doctor's clinic was in a corner of the martial arts school, and there was still a doctor who hadn't tasted the medicinal wine. An elderly doctor carefully aligned Zhang Xiaohua's broken arm and patiently pieced together his shattered fingers. Poor Zhang Xiaohua woke up during the alignment of his arm and fainted again from the pain during the finger reconstruction. Sweat beads the size of peas rolled down his face, and the saying "ten fingers connected to the heart" was not just a figure of speech.

After the doctor applied high-quality medicine and set the splint, Zhang Xiaohua slowly woke up again.

Enduring the excruciating pain in his hand, Zhang Xiaohua looked helplessly at his splinted arm and asked the doctor, "When will my injury heal?"

The doctor looked at him with pity and said, "Child, take good care of yourself. It will take at least a year or two. Poor thing."

Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed, "Oh no, I was supposed to learn boxing from Captain He tonight. What should I do?"

The doctor said, "You're still thinking about boxing? Your injury..."

Before the doctor could finish, Zhang Xiaohu interrupted, "Xiaohua, your injury isn't too serious. Don't think about practicing boxing for now. Once you recover, Captain He can teach you. If that doesn't work, isn't there Old Master Qu? He's a great martial artist at our school. He can teach you."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua was overjoyed and looked at the kind old man beside him, saying, "Can you teach me boxing, Old Master Qu?"

Old Master Qu readily agreed, saying, "Of course, Zhang Xiaohua. Once you recover, I'll teach you well, and I'll make sure you become even better than your brother."

Zhang Xiaohua thanked him and then remembered, "Second Brother, now that I'm injured, I can't work at the manor. Please go and talk to them, so they don't fire me. Ask for a leave of absence. Also, Second Brother, here's my monthly pay from last month. Since I need money for my recovery, I thought I'd give it to you or send it to Father and Mother."

Saying this, he struggled to use his left hand to take out a few silver coins from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Xiaohu.

Seeing this, Old Master Qu glared at Yu Deyi and said, "Zhang Xiaohua, your injury was caused by Yu Deyi, so he will cover the medical expenses. You don't need to worry about that. I'll send someone to Huaxi Manor to inform them of your situation and ask for a leave of absence. You can recover here at the security agency. Your brother will take good care of you. Is that okay?"

Zhang Xiaohua's grateful eyes and words made Old Master Qu's heart ache. After saying this, he waved and left, thinking, "What a pitiful, lovely child."

Seeing Old Master Qu leave, Yu Deyi finally dared to speak, "Zhang Xiaohua, I'm really sorry. I... I lost my head and shouldn't have used my internal energy. Don't worry, I'll compensate you until you're satisfied."

Zhang Xiaohua looked at this rich kid, not knowing what to say. He had used his fist to block that palm and ended up like this. If that palm had hit his second brother's chest, what would have happened? Even a child could guess. If such a thing had happened, would he still think of compensating with silver? Sigh, he definitely would. Zhang Xiaohua was almost certain of it.

Zhang Xiaohua looked at him weakly and smiled, nodding. Yu Deyi then left awkwardly, saying, "Zhang Xiaohua, rest well. I'll have the doctor use the best medicine to ensure you can walk soon."

Shangguan Yun and Yu Lun comforted Zhang Xiaohua a few more words and followed Yu Deyi out.

Only Li Jinfeng remained in the room. The scholar looked at Zhang Xiaohua, not knowing how to comfort him, and said, "Xiaohua, you're a good child. Good people will have good rewards. You'll recover soon. I'll come to see you again tomorrow."

Saying this, he patted Zhang Xiaohua's head and left. At the door, he seemed to remember something and turned back to Zhang Xiaohu, saying, "Zhang Xiaohu, I came to the security agency to apologize. I promised to bring you and Xiaohua here from the carriage shop, but I forgot. I'm very sorry. You must forgive me. Sigh, if I had taken Xiaohua somewhere else today, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Saying this, he didn't wait for Zhang Xiaohu to respond and left.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohu recalled the forgotten "grievance" and shook his head. If you had taken Xiaohua somewhere else, you would have really apologized.

Zhang Xiaohua said, "Second Brother, I was the one who brought Li Jinfeng here. He only came to apologize because he saw me. This person is really strange. Every time he mentions the carriage shop, he wants to apologize, even wanting to apologize to you in person. Now he can sleep well at night."

Zhang Xiaohu felt a mix of emotions. How could there be such a big difference between people? Thinking of Li Jinfeng, and then of Yu Deyi, Shangguan Yun, and Yu Lun, each was so different. In the unfamiliar city of Pingyang, although they couldn't say it was difficult to take a step, the current situation was indeed uncertain. Should they tell their parents in Guo Village about Xiaohua's injury, or send him home to recover?

However, he quickly made a decision. Since they had already left home, they should decide their own fate. If they told their family about Xiaohua's injury, not only might they not be able to stay in Pingyang, but even if they knew, what help could they provide? It would only make them sad and worried. When his elder brother was injured last year, wasn't it the village veterinarian, Old Guo, who treated him? Thinking of Old Guo's title as a veterinarian, Zhang Xiaohu felt a cold sweat. He firmly decided not to send Xiaohua home.

Zhang Xiaohu also wanted to hear Xiaohua's opinion and asked him. Xiaohua's opinion was the same as Zhang Xiaohu's, shaking his head vigorously, refusing to go home.

At this moment, the elderly doctor entered the room, looked at Zhang Xiaohua, and took his pulse. He said to Zhang Xiaohu, "Zhang Xiaohu, your brother's injury is very serious. Although there's no bleeding, the pain is not something an ordinary person can endure. He has fainted twice already. His pale face shows he's exhausted. Take him back to rest. Be careful not to touch his arm and fingers. I've done my best. I hope your brother will recover well. Also, Old Master Qu has already instructed that you don't need to worry about the medical expenses. I'll use the best medicine for your brother. Actually, it doesn't require much. For broken bones, it's all about 'nourishment.' The ointment I applied already contains tiger bone, the best medicine for bone injuries in our security agency. I'll also prescribe some calming and nourishing herbs, and have someone deliver them to you."

Then, he patted Zhang Xiaohua's head, sighed, and left.

Zhang Xiaohu looked at his brother, who was indeed covered in sweat, pale-faced, and looked exhausted. Feeling both heartache and self-reproach, he realized that without their parents, he was now the "elder brother as father." How could he have been so inattentive to his brother's condition?

So, Zhang Xiaohu carefully lifted Zhang Xiaohua from the bed, preparing to move him to his own room. Although Zhang Xiaohu was careful, being a man, he lacked experience in caring for others. He accidentally touched Zhang Xiaohua's injured area twice. The first time, Zhang Xiaohua didn't notice and cried out in pain. The second time, he gritted his teeth and endured it, but the sweat still poured down. Zhang Xiaohu felt even more heartache and became even more careful.

Fortunately, the journey was slow, and he didn't touch Zhang Xiaohua's injured area again, which made Zhang Xiaohu feel a bit more at ease.

Zhang Xiaohu's room was spacious, originally meant for two people. After Zhang Xiaohu won the boxing match with the security guard, Li Liuye moved the other person to another room, allowing Zhang Xiaohu to live alone to focus on his boxing practice. Now, it was perfect, as the extra bed could be used for Zhang Xiaohua to recover.

Zhang Xiaohu carefully placed Zhang Xiaohua on the bed, found his own bedding to cover him, and, despite the warm weather, used slightly thicker bedding to ensure his brother's injury didn't worsen.

Soon, the medicine was delivered, and Zhang Xiaohu fed it to his brother. Seeing his brother's face covered in sweat, he wanted to wash him, but the servant who collected the medicine bowl reminded him that the doctor had forgotten to mention that the patient's bones had just been set and should not be moved much. The sweat should be left alone to avoid disturbing the injury. Zhang Xiaohu had to give up the idea.

By now, it was getting dark. After sending the servant away, Zhang Xiaohu turned to look at Zhang Xiaohua, who was already half-asleep, gradually drifting off. Indeed, the poor child had suffered so much and deserved some peace.

Zhang Xiaohu looked at his beloved little brother, his peaceful sleeping face, and the occasional frown from pain, feeling both regret and heartache. He didn't move until night fell.

Deep into the night, Zhang Xiaohu lay by Zhang Xiaohua's bed, with mixed feelings, and fell into a deep sleep. Knowing he slept deeply, he was afraid his brother might need him. Previously, his brother would sleep through the night, but now, with his injury, he didn't know what might happen. So, he didn't sleep on his own bed.

Zhang Xiaohua was a considerate child. From dusk to just before midnight, he often frowned, but after midnight, he looked peaceful and slept soundly. Zhang Xiaohu finally felt relieved, feeling sleepy, and fell asleep by the bed.

In the dim night, Zhang Xiaohua's dreams were different from usual. The rhythm of the flickering light seemed urgent, and a strange vibration from his left wrist spread throughout his body, mostly flowing to the injured area. Many secrets, both good and bad, unfolded in the darkness, unseen by human eyes.

When the morning sun rose, the vibration stopped, and Zhang Xiaohua's eyes opened. He habitually sniffed and tried to get up, but the intense pain in his right hand made him cry out, "Ouch!"

This startled Zhang Xiaohu, who immediately sat up and shouted, "Xiaohua, what's wrong?"

Seeing his second brother's face, looking around, and feeling the intense pain in his right hand, Zhang Xiaohua remembered he was at Lotus Security Agency, not Huaxi Manor, and his second brother, not the smelly Ma Jing, was beside him. He smiled and said, "Nothing, Second Brother. I just woke up and accidentally moved my right hand."

Zhang Xiaohu said with concern, "Oh, be more careful. Although the splint is on, if you use your fingers, the bones might shift. If they grow crooked, they'll have to be reset, which is very painful. You mustn't move them."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua stuck out his tongue and said, "So cruel, reset and start over? You're not kidding, right?"

Zhang Xiaohu laughed and said, "Doctor Cheng wouldn't lie. He's the best doctor at Lotus Security Agency."

Zhang Xiaohua then realized that the elderly doctor was the best doctor at the security agency, truly a hidden expert.

At this moment, Zhang Xiaohua's stomach growled loudly. Zhang Xiaohu laughed and said, "Xiaohua, your stomach is growling. Are you hungry? I'll get you some food."

Zhang Xiaohua blushed and said, "Yes, hurry up, Second Brother. I didn't eat lunch or dinner yesterday, so I'm really hungry now."

Poor Xiaohua hadn't eaten lunch yesterday and had planned to get something from his second brother. But at the security agency, he encountered Yu Deyi, and then the fight and injury happened. He naturally didn't eat dinner, only drinking bitter medicine. Recovery requires nutrition, so it's no wonder his stomach was complaining.

Before Zhang Xiaohu could get up, someone knocked on the door. It was Yu Lun, who had brought food. He explained that Yu Deyi, who was also injured, had asked him to bring the food and apologize, as he couldn't come himself. Zhang Xiaohu, understanding Yu Lun's intention, didn't refuse, took the food, and prepared to feed Xiaohua.

Yu Lun didn't enter the room, saying he would bring lunch later, and then left.

The breakfast was carefully prepared by Yu Lun, with many nourishing ingredients that were easy to digest. Zhang Xiaohua found it very delicious, even better than the breakfast at Huaxi Manor. He ate everything, secretly thinking about staying injured for a while longer.

After feeding Zhang Xiaohua, Zhang Xiaohu saw his brother eating happily, thinking that his weak body needed nutrition. The fact that he could eat was a good sign of recovery, which made Zhang Xiaohu secretly happy.

After cleaning up the dishes, he put them aside and said to Zhang Xiaohua, "Xiaohua, rest in the room. I'll go eat and then take care of some business at the security agency. I'll come back as soon as I can. I'll explain the situation to Li Liuye, and I'm sure he'll let me come back early."

Zhang Xiaohua said, "It's fine, Second Brother. You go ahead. I'll stay here and recover slowly."

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